Gareth Bale may have been pivotal to Real Madrid's aggregate victory over FC Schalke 04 in the Champions League Round of 16, but that did not stop his former Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Kevin Prince-Boateng from embracing the Welshman after the final whistle (below right), perhaps reminiscing about their time together at White Hart Lane.

The German outfit were battered in Gelsenkirchen last month, with a hat-trick of Los Blancos each registering a brace including one-time Arsenal target Karim Benzema, former Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and ex Spur; Bale.

The 24-year-old, who flourished under former Lilywhite manager Andre Villas-Boas' guidance in a free role in the attacking third, has scored 14 and assisted 17 in all competitions in Spain this season - an attacking efficiency of a goal or assist every 71 minutes he is on the field.

On Tuesday evening at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bale was once more productive as he played provider to Ronaldo for the game's opener, as Real headed toward an astonishing 9-2 thumping over two legs.

Bale and Real are on course for a treble as the club have an El Clasico Copa del Rey to compete in April, are three points clear at the top of La Liga and are now in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Boateng is less assured of silverware this season as Schalke were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal, have now exited the Champions League and, whilst third in the Bundesliga, are an insurmountable 24 points behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich.